The best of Punta Cana is beyond the resort gates — turquoise islands, jungle cenotes, colonial streets and beaches the tour buses never reach. Rent a car and discover the Dominican Republic on your own schedule, no group tours, no waiting.
From a single base in Punta Cana you can reach islands, waterfalls, beaches and a 500-year-old colonial city — all within an easy drive. Here's where locals send their favorite guests.
Postcard beaches & natural pools — drive to Bayahíbe, then catch a boat
Luxury marina, golf & fine dining — 15 min away
Cenotes, zip-lines & jungle trails
The iconic 7-km strand of white sand
Local eateries & markets off the resort strip
A surreal blue cenote inside Scape Park
Wild, uncrowded surf beach — best by car
The Americas' oldest colonial city — 2 hr drive
Saona is the image everyone imagines of the Dominican Republic: shallow turquoise water, starfish-filled natural pools and palm-fringed sand. Boats leave from Bayahíbe, about a 90-minute drive (≈130 km) southwest of Punta Cana along Route 3 and the Coral Highway. With your own car you can leave at sunrise, beat the resort excursion crowds to the dock, and explore the seaside village of Bayahíbe and the cliffs of Cotubanamá National Park before or after your boat — something no fixed-schedule group tour lets you do.
Tucked into the Cap Cana hills just 15–20 minutes (≈12 km) from most Punta Cana resorts, Scape Park packs zip-lines, caves and the unreal cobalt cenote of Hoyo Azul into one morning. Driving yourself means you arrive when the gates open, skip the shuttle pickups that eat an hour of every organized tour, and continue straight to Macao Beach or Cap Cana marina afterward. A compact SUV handles the short access road with ease.
Macao Beach sits about 30 minutes (≈25 km) north of Bávaro, and the last stretch is unpaved — which is exactly why it stays wild, golden and gloriously uncrowded. Bring a beach SUV, pack a cooler from a local colmado, and you'll find the kind of empty Caribbean shoreline that's nearly impossible to enjoy on a packed buggy tour. Pair it with Playa Limón further north for a full day of off-the-grid coastline.
The capital's Zona Colonial — a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest European city in the Americas — is roughly a 2-hour drive (≈210 km) west on the well-maintained Autovía del Coral and Autopista Las Américas. Cobblestone streets, the first cathedral of the New World and lively plazas reward an early start. With a rental car you set the pace: linger over lunch in the old town, detour to the Los Tres Ojos caves, and drive back along the coast whenever you're ready — no 6 a.m. bus call, no waiting for stragglers.
A few local pointers so your road trip is smooth from the first kilometer. Have a question on the road? Our team is one WhatsApp message away, day or night.
The Dominican Republic drives on the right-hand side, like the US and most of Europe. Speed and distances are in km/h and kilometers.
The Coral Highway and routes toward Santo Domingo have toll booths (peajes). Keep small Dominican pesos handy — roughly RD$60–300 per booth.
Gas stations (bombas) are easy to find along main roads and most have attendants. Fill up before long stretches to wilder beaches like Macao or Playa Limón.
Most beaches have informal lots where a local attendant watches your car for a small tip (RD$50–100). Leave nothing visible inside and you're good to go.
Every rental includes insurance and a clear, all-in price. Your foreign or international license is accepted for the length of your trip.
Flat tire on the way to Saona? Wrong turn near Santo Domingo? One WhatsApp message and a real local human helps you in minutes — anytime.
Skip the rigid tour schedules. With a modern, fully insured car you decide where to go, when to leave and how long to stay. Book in 60 seconds, free cancellation up to 24h before pickup.